Improvement in pouches for letter-carriers



R. HALE. Pouches for Letter-Carriers.

No. 212,551. Patented Feb. 25,1879.

WYim-"Ess'm; M INVENTOR- UN TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT HALE, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

IMPROVEMENT IN POUCHES FOR LETTER-CARRIERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 212,551, dated February 25, 1879; application filed January 13, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT HALE, of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented a new and Improved Pouch for Mail-Carriers; and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, making part of this specification, in which the figure is a perspective view of the pouch with the mouth opened.

My invention relates to that class of pouches for mail-carriers in local service wherein the mail from the various street-boxes is gathered, and it is particularly adapted to be used with the drop-bottom letter-boxes for which Letters Patent were issued to me December 4, 1877, No. 197 ,849, and November 26, 1878, No. 210,253; and its purpose or object is to facilitate the gathering of the mail and to gather it more safely.

My invention consists in a pouch having a flaring mouth, so constructed that when opened it will inclose the end or corner of the letterbox and the opening through which the letters are withdrawn, and acts in the manner of a funnel to direct the mail matter into the body of the pouch, thereby avoiding the danger of dropping a letter incident on the carrier having to pick up the mail-matter in his hand and transfer it from the letter-box to his pouch. When the mouth is closed, it folds together and is covered by a flap and secured by a strap and buckle or loop.

In order that those skilled in the art may use my invention, I will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawing, the figure represents a mail-carriers pouch, the lower portion, A, of which is made in the usual manner. Oommencing at about a point, B, the sides H are made flaring toward their tops at a at. These flaring ends of the sides are crimped or broken inwardly on a line, b b, so that when the pouch is to be closed the front piece is brought up, and as this is done, the flaring sides or gores fold inwardly, so as to allow the mouth to completely close. The flap D is then passed over the mouth and is secured by means of a strap, E, and a loop or buckle, F.

Attached to proper points on the pouch is a strap, G, to pass over the letter-carriers shoulder, in the usual manner.

In the front side of the pouch, near the mouth, I make an elongated opening, 8, to pass over the hook. (Shown in my patent of December 4, 187 7.)

It is evident that the gores or flaring ends of the side pieces may be made of any desired divergence and have more than one breaking fold without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is--- As an improved article of manufacture, a

letter-carriers pouch provided with side pieces which are widened at their top portions to give the pouch a flaring mouth, the said side pieces being adapted to be folded in closing the pouch, and covered by the flap D, which is secured by a suitable fastening, as set forth.

. ROBERT HALE. Witnesses GEO. H. RUsH, A. F. GALE. 

